72 A-body suspension upgrade

I just bought a 72 Dart and I'm wondering if anyone here has any advice on upgrading the suspension to handle better. I'm not looking for a like a magnum force or RMS k-frame type deal (would love to though) but something more on the cheap side? Any one got any ideas?  

There's also Caps Automotive products, Hotchkiss & Just Suspension... The tubular type K frames really isn't necessary, unless you plan on competing on road courses or auto-crossing type stuff, but new rubber or poly bushings, good wider performance tires, gas shocks, new ball joints, sway bars & better brakes at the minimum are, you could also go to O/S or adjustable strut rods, adjustable upper/lower tubular control arms, larger diameter torsion bars, larger diameter/wider wheels & handling specific performance type tires, lower the car & effective center of gravity.... On the more expensive side, quick ratio steering box, O/S tie rods/ends & remove bump steer, a tubular k-frame & rack in pinion, front drop spindles, rear leaf springs & the proper shackles if you choose to stay with leaf springs, air ride or coil over conversion all around & ladder or 4-link rear suspension, will also aid to lower the rear, but aren't cheap or easy for a novice....  
"Fill Your Library Before You Fill Your Garage" Good Luck  "Budnicks"

Use KYB shocks, those are way better than the monroe or gabriel shocks you get at the local parts store. That change alone will make a big difference.
On my '73 Dart I use a 1 inch front sway bar with poly bushings and KYB shocks front & rear. These changes won't cost you much but it handles way better. If you want more get oversize torsion bars & poly bushings on the upper & lower control arms. Don't use poly bushings on the rear leaf springs, it makes the car very uncomfortable. Just my opinion.  

I've got a 70 swinger that I'm going to put a whole RMS suspension system in but not with this one (yet at least).
So putting in a decent sway bar front and rear, poly bushings, gas shocks and bigger torsion bars would give me a good handling car on the cheap then?
On lowering the car, I now how to lower the front by the bolt on the underside of the lower control arms but with the rear I'm thinking spring over axle conversion? I'd be replacing the leaf springs any ways with stiffer ones to get better performance but. I've seen 1" drop springs from Hotchkis, would those work well for that application?  

Sure they would help, Hotchkiss make great products, maybe even call them & actually talk to them, maybe they could make a specific set for your car & needs, there also are front spring mounts with a roller the corrects the rear spring geometry also, Check Mancini Racing for "Rear leaf spring sliders" $72.95 each  
"Fill Your Library Before You Fill Your Garage" Good Luck  "Budnicks"

What's the benefit of the sliders with the geometry, is there binding that's created with a leaf spring system?
I'll give them a call when i get the time and see what they come up with.
If I keep the rear completely stock and put the axle over the leaf spring (SOA conversion) would that do anything to add performance since it affectively lowers the car down and puts the center of gravity down lower or will this effect the geometry of the leaf springs too much.  

Go to Mancini's web site, they have a pretty good description on the sliders, Lowering the car will help for sure the geometry would remain very close to the same if you only do the SOA conversion, just with a much lower center of gravity... More weight down low, with less body roll & inertia to move the body side to side...  
"Fill Your Library Before You Fill Your Garage" Good Luck  "Budnicks"

Correct me if I'm wrong but if you put the rear axle under the springs it seems to me you lift up the rear of the car instead of lowering it.  

Right, which is why with an SOA conversion your taking the axle from being under the axle which is stock for most all mopars, if not all I'm not sure. So then to do an SOA conversion it'd be as simple as taking the mounts off the axle and welding them onto the bottom of the axle? I took a look on the Mancini Racing site and that makes sense then thanks.  

I just realized what your saying, yes true for some reason I got SOA confused with spring under axle mixed up.  

stock mopar cars have the spring under the axle. spring over the axle , like some trucks, raises vehicle height. use the lowering springs, or lowering blocks with longer shackles. spring sliders are needed if you add ladder bars .